Virginia Focus

If you have traveled nearly any of the highways and byways of the south and beyond, at some point you have seen a Stuckeys. Most often associated with a blue roof. At some point the popularity of the Stuckey's tapered off, but now granddaughter of the founder of Stuckey's and career litigator Stephanie Stuckey was able to buy the company from ruin. She aims to not only bring back the company to beyond it's once enjoyed heyday, but also bring back the American Road trip. As we learned from sitdown with Stephanie Stuckey, she has her work cut out for her, but seems well up to the task of Reviving Stuckeys.

The good news is that in the United States, child poverty fell by 59% from 1993 – 2019, according to a comprehensive new analysis. The study was a joint effort between The New York Times and a nonpartisan research group with an expertise in statistical analysis called Child Trends. A broad overview of the results show multiple forces reduced child poverty, including lower unemployment, increased labor force participation among single mothers and the growth of state-level minimum wages. But a dominant factor was the expansion of government aid. To tell us more about the details, we’re speaking with Dana Thomson, Senior Research Scientist with Child Trends .

The American Lung Association released the 2022 State of the Air Report including new information on Virgina's air quality and its impact on resident's health. It spotlights changes to the state's air quality in couties and metro areas since last year's report.

As we approach the winter months and the temperature drops, Virginians want to know what to expect when it comes to their electricity bills. We are going to discover a variety of ways you can keep your energy usage down now and through the holiday season. Those tips come from a spokesman from Virginia Energy Sense – and some of them won’t cost you a dime. Additionally, we will get the truth about how inflation and federal policies are affecting the costs associated with energy usage when we talk to a representative of the Consumer Energy Alliance.

We’re diving in to the history and beauty of river view farms – now known as Ivy Creek Foundation in Charlottesville. River View Farm is a rare surviving example of the Union Ridge/Hydraulic Mills community of African American farmers, pastors, craftspeople, and businessmen that flourished in the region beginning in the final quarter of the nineteenth century. Let’s learn more about this valuable piece of Virginia history with Ivy Creek Foundation Executive Director Sue Erhardt.

The Department of Heath and Human Services says the national uninsured rate reached an all-time low in 2022. That means 92% of Americans do have some form of health coverage. Reports also show that changes in uninsured rates from 2020 to 2022 were largest among individuals with incomes below 100% of the Federal Poverty Level (FPL) and incomes between 200% and 400% FPL. Open Enrollment for people using Healthcare.gov began November 1st but deadlines for some individuals is approaching fast. Thankfully Emily Brown, the Patient Education Content and Project Manager for Patient Advocate Foundation takes the time to explain all the detail to us.

Fisher House Foundation builds comfort homes where military & veterans families can stay free of charge, while a loved one is in the hospital. These homes are located at military and VA medical centers around the world.

On this episode, John Clark speaks to Gil Harrington, the founder of Help Save the Next Girl. Help Save the Next Girl is a national non-profit organization formed in honor of her daughter, Morgan Dana Harrington - a 20-year-old Virginia Tech student who was abducted and murdered in 2009. Let's learn more about the case and the determined mother behind it all who volunteers to help the next girl.

If you received a diagnosis tomorrow that threatened your ability to work, do you know how to navigate the disability system? This topic is critical to many patients and their families who are also frequently confused about the eligibility criteria and application process for disability benefits. On this episode of Virginia Focus, Beth Moore with Patient Advocate Foundation tells us how her organization can help you understand how disability is defined, the criteria for benefits, questions to think about before filing and tips for building and submitting a solid application for a timely decision.

As the population increases and developers buy up more and more land for housing and infrastructure, farmers find themselves trying to find new ways to expand their production. During the show, we’ll learn more about what vertical farming means, how it’s flourishing in Virginia, and how vertical agriculture can be used in the future to address food security from Virginia Secretary of Agriculture and Forestry Matthew Lohr and AeroFarms CEO David Rosenberg.